China seeks to lift homework pressures on schoolchildren
China has passed an education law aimed at reducing the
pressures of excessive homework and intensive after-school tutoring, state
media say.
Parents are being asked to ensure their children have
reasonable time for rest and exercise, and do not spend too much time online.
In August China banned written exams for six and seven year
olds.
Officials warned at the time that students' physical and
mental health was being harmed.
In the last year the state has also introduced a number of
measures aimed at moderating children's "addiction" to the internet
and popular culture.
The latest measure was passed on Saturday by the National
People's Congress Standing Committee, the country's permanent legislative body.
Full details of the law have not yet been published, but
media reports suggest it encourages parents to nurture their children's morals,
intellectual development and social habits.
Local government will be responsible for implementation,
such as providing funding for "enriching extra-curricular
activities".
The law received a mixed reaction on social media site
Weibo, with some users praising the drive for good parenting while others
questioned whether local authorities or the parents themselves would be up to
the task.
"I work 996 [from 9am to 9pm, six days a week], and
when I come home at night I still need to carry out family education?" one
user asked, quoted by the South China Morning Post newspaper.
"You can't exploit the workers and still ask them to
have children."
In July, Beijing stripped online tutoring firms operating in
the country of the ability to make a profit from teaching core subjects.
Shares in China tuition firms slump after shake-up
China introduces Xi Jinping ideology in schools
The new guidelines also restricted foreign investment in the
industry and disrupted the private tutoring sector which was worth around
$120bn (£87bn) before the overhaul.
At the time, the move was seen as authorities trying to ease
the financial pressures of raising children, after China posted a record low
birth rate.
Education inequality is also a problem - more affluent
parents are willing to spend thousands to get their children into top schools.
Source BBC
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